Queer Roots and Routes: Gorgeous, fierce, supergay and revolutionary

From Aunt Nell (the production team behind The Log Books) Queer Roots and Routes shares stories of queer migrants and people descended from migrants. Made it partnership with The Love Tank (a non-profit organisation promoting health + wellbeing of underserved communities) the show has refreshingly creative and fun audio production. Each episode has a different host and a different set of voices sharing their “GORGEOUS, FIERCE, SUPERGAY and… REVOLUTIONARY” tales.

We spoke to the team behind the show – Tash and Adam from Aunt Nell, and Executive Producer Dale Taylor-Gentles from The Love Tank – to find out a bit more about how it came to be…

What was your introduction to podcasting as a listener?

Aunt Nell: At Aunt Nell we all started listening to podcasts years ago. Some of long-time favs are Short Cuts, Bad Gays, Dreamboy, You’re Wrong About, Making Gay History. We’ve always been drawn in by the stories that aren’t being told elsewhere and by voices you rarely hear.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

Aunt Nell: This is such a difficult question, because our podcasts take inspiration from different sources, probably because each podcast series we make has its own unique combination of features. For sound design and storytelling we are constantly inspired by the work of Axel Kacoutié, Falling Tree Productions, a one-off series years ago called Dreamboy, and immersive BBC series like Ecstasy: The Battle Of Rave and Acid Dream: The Great LSD Plot.

For documentary work, it’s things like Making Gay History, some of the Tortoise Media series, some of the stuff Pushkin — and a new series on housing called Dwelling.

What would you like to see more of in the podcast space?

Aunt Nell: It would be great to see more opportunity to make original content in the podcast space, with the closing of the Audio Content Fund it is harder and harder for independent podcasters to be truly creative and focus on the stories that they want to share outside of the celebrity stratosphere.

Why did you decide that audio was right for sharing these stories?

Dale: I think the idea to do a podcast came about through spending time with the people you hear in the episodes. As the lead for the overall project that researches the health and wellbeing needs of queer migrant men and queer men of colour, I was fortunate enough to spend time both individually and in groups with them all in other outputs of the project, such as our day of workshops and events, and this allowed me to hear their stories of their joys, struggles and successes.

Each of their stories taught me something meaningful and resonated with me in ways unexpected. This planted a seed for me and my colleagues that we should create a space in which all these amazing people could talk about their experiences as queer migrants and queer people of colour navigating the city. From there we came together with those same people and built upon this idea to what eventually became our podcast.

What have you enjoyed most in making this podcast?

Dale: What I have enjoyed most is all the collaboration between myself, the Aunt Nell team and all the people who shaped the podcast and appeared on the episodes. Throughout the creative process, many interesting and important questions of identity and what connects were raised. It forced us to reflect on our place in the world and set the foundations for the rich conversations you hear within the episodes. I think we all came away from the experience prouder and taller than when we started this journey.

Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

More information on the collective and the project of Queer Roots and Routes can be found here. All our podcasts at Aunt Nell here and more on The Love Tank here.

Listen to Queer Roots and Routes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps >>